Dear Portlanders,
Summer is here and we're staying busy! Let me update you on all the community connections, policy progress, and upcoming opportunities to get involved.
Before we dive into the news and events from our District, I wanted to clear something up.
Setting the Record Straight on My Budget Amendment
A lot of press has come out about my amendment that redirects $2 million from the Mayor's police budget proposal to Parks maintenance. Here are the facts:
The Numbers: Police requested $10 million over last year's budget. The Mayor added another $2 million on top of their request —making police the only department to receive an increase while every other department faced 8% cuts. Meanwhile, his budget cuts Parks maintenance—services District 1 residents have repeatedly prioritized in our meetings. These cuts would have disproportionately impacted East Portland parks, including cutting all maintenance to East Portland parks and reducing upkeep for parks that haven't even opened yet.
What My Amendment Does: Fund the full $10 million police increase as requested. Redirect the Mayor's additional $2 million to park maintenance, playgrounds, and green spaces.
The Reality: This is a $10 million police budget increase. Anyone claiming this is "defunding" is deliberately misleading Portlanders rather than having an honest conversation about how we build community safety.
Why Parks Matter: Maintained parks, after-school programs, and community spaces prevent problems before they escalate. Well-lit parks with functioning equipment give kids safe places to play and families places to gather. After-school programs keep young people engaged and supervised. Clean, maintained public spaces foster community connections that make neighborhoods safer naturally. This is public safety—addressing root causes rather than only responding to problems after they occur.
District 1 families understand this connection between community investment and public safety. District residents' input from budget meetings drives my support for housing, homelessness services, climate resilience, and community programs that strengthen East Portland.
The choice was simple: fund what police actually asked for while protecting the community services you've told me matter most.
Candace at Work
TIF District Applications Extended
Heads up! The deadline to apply for the East Portland Tax Increment Finance (TIF) District Community Leadership Committees has been extended to June 16th. This is your chance to help shape how investments are made in East Portland's future over the next 30 years.
Candace Call to Action: Don't miss this opportunity to lead in your community! Apply to join a Community Leadership Committee here!
Budget Season Update
We're in the final stretch of Portland's budget process under our new council structure. While this first budget cycle with our expanded council has had its challenges as we learn to work together, I'm optimistic about our ability to collaborate and deliver for Portland when we come together on June 11th for final adoption.
15 Hours of Democracy in Action: On May 21st, I live-posted our marathon budget deliberation session—all 15 hours of it! With over 120 amendments to consider, we experienced growing pains in real time as 12 councilors worked through our new government structure. If you missed it, you can see the full thread on my Bluesky at @CouncilorAvalos. I'll be live-posting again during future council sessions!
Key Victories for District 1: I successfully introduced several amendments to ensure East Portland gets its fair share after decades of underinvestment:
- Police “Uncrease” to Parks Maintenance: Redirected $1.99 million in one-time police funds to Parks maintenance, restoring essential services like bathroom cleaning, playground repairs, and facility upkeep across Portland's parks. Thank you to Councilors Dunphy, Koyama Lane, Kanal, Green, Morillo, and Novick for supporting this crucial investment!
- Small Donor Elections Program: Helped protect this vital program that ensures candidates from all backgrounds—not just the wealthy—can run for office. As I said during deliberations: "87% of Portland voters have at least one person on the City Council who they voted for. If we cut the Small Donor Elections fund, we do an injustice to our voters."
- Transportation Infrastructure: Supported increasing rideshare fees from $1.30 to $2.00, generating $5 million for transportation improvements while asking ride-share companies to contribute more toward the roads they use heavily.
The fight continues! While we secured important victories last week, I'm not done advocating for District 1. Next week, I'm introducing three more amendments that address police accountability, affordable housing preservation, and mental health services:
- Police Accountability: Moving $15.1 million in police overtime funding under council oversight, ensuring transparency and accountability in how these dollars are spent.
- Affordable Housing Preservation: Reallocating $500,000 to preserve affordable housing units in the N/NE Housing Preference Policy—protecting homes for families who need them most.
- Mental Health Services: Directing $1.2 million in opioid settlement funds toward Fora Health so they can complete their development of housing for people in recovery.
These amendments reflect what I've heard from you during our budget meetings and constituent conversations—we need accountability, housing stability, and community-based mental health support.
Throughout this process, I've remained committed to advocating for investments that reflect District 1's priorities: housing and homelessness support, climate resilience, and keeping our hardworking frontline staff employed. Your voices from our district budget meetings and ongoing conversations continue to guide my advocacy.
Key upcoming dates:
- June 10 (1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.): City Council first reading and adoption of budget
- June 11 (9:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.): City Council second reading (final adoption)
Candace in City Hall
Homelessness and Housing Committee - Major Victory!
As Committee Chair, I'm thrilled to announce that the Unified Housing Strategy resolution passed out of committee with a unanimous vote and is headed to full Council!
The Unified Housing Strategy is my initiative to create Portland's first unified, citywide strategy addressing the entire housing continuum—from homelessness prevention to middle-income homeownership. This comprehensive, implementation-focused roadmap will break down silos between bureaus and align existing strategies under Portland's new government structure.
Portland has many different housing plans—for homelessness, affordable housing, anti-displacement—but they don't coordinate with each other. The Unified Housing Strategy brings all these efforts together into one roadmap so that progress on preventing homelessness also supports affordable housing, and new development strengthens rather than displaces communities. It's about making our housing work more effective by working together.
Climate, Resilience and Land Use Committee
Our next committee meeting on June 12th will focus on important appointments to city commissions and voting on FEMA flood hazard amendments that were read into the record on May 29th. We're working with new FEMA requirements that will change Title 24 building requirements—critical updates for climate resilience, especially for East Portland communities on the frontlines of climate impacts.
We also addressed important flood hazard code amendments to bring Portland into compliance with new FEMA requirements.
This important work will then move to full Council for consideration.
Finance Committee
Our next Finance Committee meeting is June 9th as we continue preparing for budget season. This is your chance to see how the budget process works under our new government structure.
Candace Call to Action: Watch the Finance Committee meeting here and see your city government in action!
Candace in Community
Protecting Portland's Music Scene
I had the privilege of joining Councilor Jamie Dunphy at a screening of "The Day the Music Stopped" followed by an important discussion about protecting music in Portland. As we face challenges around venue closures and rising costs, it's crucial that we preserve the creative spirit that makes Portland special. Music and arts are not just entertainment—they're essential to our community's soul and economic vitality.
Celebrating Community Impact
I was honored to serve as guest speaker at We ARE Impact's annual event, celebrating the incredible work of Impact NW. At a time when so much feels uncertain, Impact NW continues to lead with compassion and results—helping neighbors stay in their homes each year. Their success is proof that when we show up for one another, real change is possible.
Eat and Greet at Menlo Park
I attended the wonderful Eat and Greet event put on by Cultivate Initiatives near the Menlo Park Safe Rest Village. Sharing food, music, laughter, and connection with community members, I had the chance to connect with Executive Director Caleb Coder. Events like this remind us what community care looks like—neighbors supporting neighbors with dignity and joy.
Constituent Days Recap & Upcoming
My Friday Constituent Days continue to be energizing! In May, I spent time in Wilkes and Sumner neighborhoods, visiting:
- Growers Outlet - Had a great conversation with Ken Brendler, owner of Growers Outlet! Hearing directly from business owners about what they need to thrive and serve our community is so important. Thank you, Ken, for all you do for Wilkes.
- Wilks Park - What a beautiful community space where neighbors connect and kids can play safely! I even took a turn on the swings and tried out some of the equipment. These are the investments that make neighborhoods strong—we need more spaces and more investment in places like this across District 1.
- Midland Library office hours – We had productive conversations with constituents during my Friday office hours, including a local business owner asking about city contracting opportunities, Wilkes residents concerned about airport noise impacts, and another business owner seeking resources to support small businesses. These one-on-one conversations help me understand what District 1 needs and how city government can better serve you.
- Grant's Philly Cheesesteak - For lunch, we stopped at this local business that's been serving the community for 23 years! Had a wonderful conversation with one of the business owners about their journey and what it takes to be a neighborhood staple. Nothing beats connecting with neighbors over good food while supporting businesses that make our neighborhoods vibrant.
- Canvasing/Door knocking - Knocked on 30 more doors during our Wilkes visit, bringing our total to 244 doors! I was pleased to have conversations about constituent needs in both English and Spanish, hearing directly from neighbors about what matters most to them. These face-to-face conversations are invaluable for understanding how to better serve District 1.
Upcoming Constituent Days:
- Powell-Hurst: Friday, June 20th
- Russell: Friday, July 18th
Candace Call to Action: Want to meet during my office hours or share what's happening in your neighborhood? Sign up here to connect with me during Constituent Days.